Pierre Giroux

Pierre Giroux

Now residing in Cornwall, Ontario, Pierre Giroux moved to Toronto at the age of 18 to study drawing and painting at the Ontario College of Arts and Design. His final year of education was spent in Florence, Italy where he was inspired by the abandoned farmhouses in the area. Before returning to Canada, Pierre travelled to Paris where he visited a gallery showcasing paintings of the interiors of houses which captured light and space like nothing he had seen before.

After returning home, Pierre’s works became about celebrating the spaces in which we inhabit, drawing inspiration for his interiors from homes in the area he lives and the grand rooms and estates found in Europe, particularly France. The influence Pierre’s time in Florence can be seen in the way he manipulates the light and draws from the styles of the Italian Renaissance.

“Classical architecture, from rural homes found in the Canadian countryside, to French and Italian vestibules and drawing rooms, these are the foundations of my work. The paintings play upon the fine line between reality and slight surrealism, always drawing upon the viewer to move within the rooms. Streams of light poke through windows and doors into dim interiors, calling you to venture out. Entryways flanked by trees and English gardens, invite you to walk back in. My hope is to evoke the memories of the many spaces we’ve visited, lived in and the role they’ve played upon our senses.” - Pierre Giroux